Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
A grin pulled at his lips. “We were inseparable.”
“Yeah, and there is no reason I can think of that we can’t get back to that.”
Matty’s head shot up, his jaw falling a bit. “But, everything I’ve done—”
“Is in the past.” Reaching out, she took his other hand. “I know you didn’t come here for forgiveness, and I appreciate that. But, Matty, I forgave you a long time ago. I had to. My life has changed left and right. I’ve learned to roll with the punches, and if I held on to my anger and resentment toward you, I’d never live a full and happy life. And that’s hard when I have Ashlyn running around like the crazy she is,” she said with a laugh, and Matty smiled. Meanwhile, Wells was holding back his tears. “Of course, I’ve always wondered why it all changed the way it did, and it kills me that you felt like that. That you felt you couldn’t come to me. Because I would have been there for you—”
“I was jealous—”
“Which, again, is in the past,” she stressed, squeezing his hand. “I want nothing more than for you to live happily and fully.”
A tear rolled down Matty’s face as he nodded. “Before I came in this house, I thought I could do that with just this guy by my side—and don’t get me wrong, Wells, I love you.”
Wells nodded, swallowing back the sob that was scratching at his throat. “I love you.”
When Matty looked back to Avery, he squeezed her hand as he whispered, “But looking at you, remembering what we had at one point, I know I can’t have it all unless you’re in my life.”
Avery’s lips curved as Wells looked away, blinking hard to keep his tears back. “Done.”
Another moment passed in silence, but then the two Haverbrookes were both moving, standing up and embracing. Wells couldn’t hold it in as the tears started to roll down his cheek, and he watched as two people became siblings once more. As they hugged, both crying in each other’s arms, Wells missed Wren something insane. He took out his phone and texted her real fast.
Wells: I love you.
Wren: I love you too.
She then sent a selfie of her sitting on the floor holding her belly as Jensen lay on her thigh, smiling up at him.
Wren: We both do.
His heart soared. How did he get this lucky? He had it all and then some. Swallowing hard past the lump in his throat, he looked up as the sliding door opened and in ran a little person, one who favored Jace all the way, screaming “Mommy!”’ With a laugh, Avery let go of Matty, patting his arm before she bent down to get Ashlyn, putting her up on her hip as Jace entered the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Ash, this is your uncle Matty,” she said, wiping sand from the sweet baby’s rosy cheeks. “Can you say hi?”
Ashlyn leaned into her mom as she nodded shyly. “Hi.”
Wells could see the love and adoration come over Matty’s face instantly. He was smitten with his niece as he smiled even harder before he said, “Hey, it’s so great to meet you.”
Ashlyn wrapped her arms around Avery’s neck, and she laughed. “She’s shy. No clue where she gets that from since her father has never met a stranger.”
Jace laughed as Matty waved her off. “You were always shy when we were younger. Plus, I’m new.”
Avery smiled, her lashes fluttering as she moved a piece of hair out of Ashlyn’s face. “But hopefully, she’ll warm up to you. You’ll have to come around for that to happen.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Jace made a face and said, “Depends who you ask.”
Avery glanced back at him. “Be nice.”
Jace looked away. “I’m trying.”
“Be nice, Daddy,” Ashlyn added, and that had everyone grinning until Jace looked at Matty. Though Matty was staring at Ashlyn, such wonder and beauty in his eyes. Wells was convinced Matty didn’t care one bit that Jace wanted to burn him alive. Everything was falling into place, thank God, since they both had wanted it so badly. As Matty reached out, running his finger along the back of Ashlyn’s hand, Wells was pretty sure the grin that graced Matty’s face was unstoppable.
And Wells couldn’t be happier.
Thirteen
Matty was on cloud nine.
“That was awesome.”
“It was,” Wells said from beside him as he drove back to the hotel. “It went way better than I expected.”
“Me too!” Matty laughed, shaking his head. “I thought she was going to tell me to fuck off.”
“Jace did.”
Matty continued to laugh. “Yeah, he hates me.”
“He does, but Ashlyn really warmed up to you before we left.”
Matty let out a long sigh, his heart so full from being around the little girl with Avery’s eyes. She was the sweetest little thing he had ever met in his life. He was smitten the moment she looked at him. She looked just like Jace, but bits of Avery were there. Which also meant parts of Matty, and that pleased him to no end. “She did. God, she is so beautiful.”